Memento Park Tours

9 Reviews

Following WWII, Budapest was firmly brought under Soviet occupation and only escaped the harsh embrace of Communism in 1989, when the Iron Curtain came down across Europe and democracy was (largely) restored.

Under Communism, scores of statues celebrating Marx, Lenin and Engels were erected as propaganda tools around Budapest. They were all uniformly monumental in scale, made out of concrete and downright ugly, and were soon joined by equally vast statues of Hungarian Communist leaders Béla Kun and Arpád Szakasits as well as gigantic allegorical monuments to Soviet heroism.

When the Soviet Union finally collapsed in 1989 and Hungary began to enjoy its first vestiges of independence, these monolithic reminders of years of suppression were torn down and carted off to Memento Park on the city’s south-west outskirts. Here they are displayed as a grim reminder of Communism and the Cold War along with an old Trabant and a half-destroyed statue of Lenin, which was desecrated in the 1956 rebellion.

The park is dominated by the 20-foot (six-m) statue of a wild-eyed liberation soldier, arms flung wide, hammer and sickle in his hand and gun slung around his neck; this once stood on the top of Gellért Hill and was seen as a symbol of Budapest’s repression.

Practical Info

Memento Park is on the corner of Balatoni and Szabadkai streets in Budapest XXII. Opening times are 10am-sunset daily. Admission is discounted with Budapest Card. Bus no 150 from Fehérvári út to Memento Park; journey takes about 30 minutes. A direct shuttle runs daily at 11am from Deák tér metro station.

It can be difficult to comprehend Hungary’s communist past on a self-led tour. Travel with ease to the outlying Memento Park on a coupe car tour with included hotel pickup, and explore the outdoor museum with a guide for intimate insight into life during the Hungarian People's Republic. Along the way, see a State Protection Authority training video, as well as Soviet sculptures, monuments, plaques, and even a housing estate from the era.

Learn the rich history behind the city of Budapest on this 3.5-hour walking tour. Led by a local guide, you’ll hear about Hungary’s involvement in World War I and II, the Hungarian Revolution of 1956 and the demise of the Soviet Union. Along the way, you’ll visit landmarks such as the Parliament Building and Momento Park, as well as an exhibition hall filled with cultural relics. Numbers are limited on this tour to keep the experience as intimate as possible.

Immerse yourself in communist-era history while exploring Memento Park in the company of a small group (15 people or fewer) and an historian guide. Spend a half-day learning about the rise and fall of communism in Budapest; a small group size means you'll have plenty of time to ask questions about the era.

Memento Park is home to some of Hungary’s most significant Communist monuments and visiting with a private guide means you’ll gain a fascinating insight into the Cold War era. Explore the vast open-air museum on a walking tour; see statues of Communist figures such as Lenin, Marx and Engels; and browse the exhibits on Communist era surveillance.

Discover Budapest with a 24, 48, 72, 96 or 120-hour Budapest Card, providing discounts, tours and transportation while you explore the city independently. Enjoy free entry to top museums, two complimentary walking tours, admission to the thermal baths and more. Your card also includes discounts at popular restaurants, free public transportation and a guidebook with helpful information about the included services.

Experience a birds-eye view of Budapest on a thrilling 30-minute flight. You’ll be served a glass of Hungarian sparkling wine before hopping aboard a private, 4-passenger plane to witness spectacular views of the city. Fly over the Parliament Building, Buda Castle and the famous Chain Bridge, and enjoy aerial views of Fisherman’s Bastion and the statues at Momento Park.